# PLEASE HELP! Water stains...I hope



## smm11 (Oct 14, 2013)

Hello,

I am new to the forum and the cigar world. I received an humidor from a relative (a very nice one that he had a while). The Humidor had not been in use in a while, probably a couple of years, so I decided to season it. I wiped it down (lightly) with distilled water and a new sponge, which I know some recommend and some don't, but I had done it once before and it worked. I then left a small bowl with water in it. this was last night. I just opened it this afternoon to see how it was doing and if needed more water and now I see black stains/streak everywhere I wiped it down. How do I get rid of/fix this? I have since taken out the water and have it opened and drying out. 

Should I wipe it with bleach or alcohol? Sand it? I am hoping it is just a water stain and not mold, it was less than 24hrs before I saw it. There doesn't seem to be any other discoloration other than the black/grey color exactly where i had wiped it down. I can tell it from where I wiped it down because I had a tough time getting in the corners and those parts are fine. Any help/info anyone could provide would be greatly appreciated. I have been looking all over the net and have not been able to find any consistent info.

Thank you in advance for your help.


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## earcutter (Aug 25, 2013)

Ok well first and foremost, take a big breath before sanding... and definitely don't use bleach! 

What did you wipe it with?

Can you post a picture?


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## JustinThyme (Jun 17, 2013)

To play it on the safe side wipe it down with 190 proof everclear grain alcohol. If you cant get that then go to the pharmacy and ask for the 90% alcohol they have behind the counter.
Dont use bleach!


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## smm11 (Oct 14, 2013)

Here are some pics of what it looks like. You can see that the marks are just where I wiped it down. I used bottled water and new sponge (I took it out of the packaging myself), just as I have before. I am going to get to get the alcohol now. I assume I wipe it down then leave it for a day or two. then I think I will just get the boveda packs and play it safe. Is there anything else you think I should do? thanks for the advice.


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## smknjoecool (Oct 11, 2013)

Was it covered with dust on the inside? It looks like what could happen if it was. When you were wiping it down was the water dirty when you rinsed the sponge? Otherwise, it looks like mildew or mold. Did you saturate the sponge you wiped it with or just moisten it? At this point when you wipe it with a new slightly moistened sponge what happens?


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## Snooplion (Nov 27, 2012)

Is that an elie bleu humidor?


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## ShotgunLuckey (Jul 19, 2013)

smm11 said:


> Here are some pics of what it looks like. You can see that the marks are just where I wiped it down. *I used bottled water *and new sponge (I took it out of the packaging myself), just as I have before. I am going to get to get the alcohol now. I assume I wipe it down then leave it for a day or two. then I think I will just get the boveda packs and play it safe. Is there anything else you think I should do? thanks for the advice.
> View attachment 46253
> View attachment 46254


bottled water is not the same as distilled water.....the minerals in bottled water could discolor the wood


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## smknjoecool (Oct 11, 2013)

ShotgunLuckey said:


> bottled water is not the same as distilled water.....the minerals in bottled water could discolor the wood


He said he used distilled water in his first post.


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## smm11 (Oct 14, 2013)

I think my problem was I used bottled water, not distillers water. That is probably what dis colored it. I did use a new clean sponge that I only rinsed with the bottled water (no tap water touched it). The humidor could have been a little dust, but I didn't really notice anything and the sponge was not dirty after wiping it down. 

I wiped it down with the 90% alcohol from the drug store that someone suggested earlier, but it didn't help. What should I do???


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## earcutter (Aug 25, 2013)

Sounds like it may just be cosmetic at this point if you wiped it down with alcohol and it still didn't "remove" the stain. That kind of stinks... 

If it were me, at this point I think I would leave the humi open for a while, let it dry completely, and then sand it a bit.


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## Herf N Turf (Dec 31, 2008)

smm11 said:


> I think my problem was I used bottled water, not distillers water. That is probably what dis colored it. I did use a new clean sponge that I only rinsed with the bottled water (no tap water touched it). The humidor could have been a little dust, but I didn't really notice anything and the sponge was not dirty after wiping it down.
> 
> I wiped it down with the 90% alcohol from the drug store that someone suggested earlier, but it didn't help. What should I do???


Live with it.

This is why I've been so adamant for years about never wiping down the inside of a humidor. Besides warping, this is a potential result. Had I found this thread earlier, I'd have told you that alcohol would do nothing for this, but alas...

You could sand it, but I wouldn't. Unless it's a very expensive humidor, the Spanish cedar in there could be extremely thin veneer, especially on the floor.

You should also not be using a bowl of water in there. Besides the risk of spillage, there's just not enough surface area. Use a *new* sponge on a saucer.


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## smm11 (Oct 14, 2013)

I am leaving it open to dry a little more. As long as its just cosmetic, it could be worse. I guess I will sand it a little, it is a good one (it is an elie bleu, so that is why I am kicking myself more...) so it should be okay to sand. I have just ordered some boveda packs, so after sanding I am just going to play it safe and wait for them to do their trick. If anyone else has had any luck getting stains out without standing I a more than happy to hear. Thanks again everybody.


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## Snooplion (Nov 27, 2012)

It appears that it is wood rot. Google it and look at images. What was the condition that the humidor was stored in before you got it? I ask because wood rot occurs only when wood has been exposed to water for a very long time, not just lots of humidity. The black appearance of it goes away when you leave the wood to dry but comes back the second you moisten the wood again. 

It appears that the best way to remove it is to sand down what you can of the wood once it is dry. You obviously don't want to sand away too much.


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## Herf N Turf (Dec 31, 2008)

If you're going to sand, be sure you wear a mask, or better yet, a respirator. Spanish cedar dust is toxic and a terrible respiratory irritant.


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